USDA Archives - Illinois Newsroom

Billions are at stake in how the government defines a place as rural

HOUSTON, Mo. — A town of 1,000 people feels like a rural place to someone from Chicago. To a person living in a town of 200 people, that population of 1,000 feels almost urban. But what the government defines as rural determines tens of billions of dollars a year in spending aimed at propping up […]

African Swine Fever Inches Closer To The U.S. With Infections In Dominican Republic

A viral outbreak in hogs just off the U.S. coast has U.S. officials ramping up efforts to make sure it doesn’t decimate the American pork industry. African swine fever, an infectious and lethal virus for pigs, has been detected in the Dominican Republic — the closest it’s been to the U.S. in 40 years. The […]

School Summer Food Programs Are A Pandemic Idea That Lasted

AMBOY — Boxes of fresh produce line cafeteria tables inside an elementary school in Amboy, Illinois. Toni Fassig just finished setting up the summer food program and families are starting to trickle in. “Good morning! Half a watermelon per family,” she says, getting pre-made meal kits ready to send out. “Do you want Bosco stick […]

Tyson Foods Recalls 8.5 Million Pounds Of Chicken Over Listeria Concerns

SPRINGDALE, Ark. – Tyson Foods Inc., one of the largest food manufacturers in the country, is recalling more than 8-million of pounds of chicken products after illnesses and one death linked to Listeria. On Sunday, the US Department of Agriculture issued a press release. It states the frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between […]

The People Who Pick America’s Fruits And Vegetables Are Getting Older

The average age of farmworkers born outside the U.S. steadily increased from 2008 to 2019, while the average age of U.S.-born workers has stayed about the same over the same period. Foreign-born farmworkers are on average 5 years older than their U.S.-born counterparts. An analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Research Service attributes the […]

For Farmland Conservation, It Comes Down To Who Owns It

TOLONO — Lin Warfel puts farmland owners in central Illinois into two categories: Those with a deep connection and desire to preserve their land, and those obsessed with short-term money. The 80-year-old still owns the land that’s been in his family since his great-grandfather arrived in Champaign County in the 1800’s. After farming it […]

Electronic Tracking Of Livestock Has Many Opponents In The US

Using electronic tags to track livestock is widespread in Europe. Proponents say it helps prevent and contain food-borne illnesses, but the idea is…

More Farmers Are Planting Cover Crops Thanks To State Incentive Programs

Last month, the Illinois Department of Agriculture opened applications for its second annual Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program — which provides a…

‘It Was An Incredible Experience’: U of I Professor Tapped By Biden Administration To Transition USDA

URBANA – A University of Illinois professor helped the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) transition from the Trump to the new Biden-Harris administration. Jonathan Coppess is one of hundreds of people — including researchers, professors and scientists — who volunteered their time on the effort. Coppess, an assistant professor within the U of I’s agriculture […]